After the announcement, the plaza erupted in chatter.
The parents waiting outside pulled out their phones and entered the exam registration and ID numbers they had saved to check their children's scores.
"Why isn't it loading yet?"
"Mine isn't loading either. Stupid phone!"
"The scores are out! My Jin made the cutoff for a top university!"
"...Sigh. My kid had a bad day. How did he only get 452? He always scored at least thirty points higher on practice tests."
The murmured conversations around him, and the anxiety, joy, or disappointment on the parents' faces, brought home to Bai Xiaowen just how much the National College Entrance Examination mattered in China. This distinctive institution, handed down from the Common Era, had more than a thousand years of history behind it if the imperial examinations were counted.
To the people of China, the exam meant far more than a test.
Xiao Jun held her phone and checked her results.
"Are they up?" Bai Xiaowen asked.
"Not yet. The network's a little slow. Too many people are trying to get in," Xiao Jun said.
"No rush." Bai Xiaowen was a little anxious himself, but he ruffled Xiao Jun's hair. "Let's go home first."
Out of the corner of his eye, Bai Xiaowen saw several reporters spot him. They were pushing through the crowd toward him.
Two years later, the Strongest Top Scholar in History still drew attention. In that short time, Bai Xiaowen had also risen to become a major figure among Awakened. His meteoric rise had made him a celebrity, and countless students looked to him as a role model.
Every reporter knew Bai Xiaowen was a story worth chasing.
Bai Xiaowen led Xiao Jun toward the parked car, letting his Psychic Field expand slightly around them.
Li Shuyi suddenly